Things Fall Apart

Stark compares European colonialism across the world and the Islamic fury due to Crusades as a motivation for the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center by Muslim terrorists (Tristano). European colonialism can be found in both the times of the Crusades and today. During the time of the Crusades, many of the Crusaders set out to spread Christianity; therefore, leading to the spread of Christianity. During the time of the Crusades, “the crusaders marched east not out of idealism, but in pursuit of lands and loots; that the Crusades were promoted by the power-mad popes seeking to greatly expand Christianity though conversion of Muslim masses” (Stark, 4). Whereas the United States is primarily Christian county (because of European colonialism), the Middle East is still primarily Muslim, leading to the next points of pursuit of land, loot, and power, as well as, and crime in need of atonement (Tristano).

One of the biggest controversies surrounding the events of September 11th focuses on whether the Bush administration actually allowed the attacks to occur so that the U.S. could increase its presence in the Middle East to gain control of its resources. This controversy also sparks debate on the validity of the 9/11 Commission Report. The United States has been the main catalyst in destabilizing the middle eastern countries, yet this idea that the U.S. government had a large part in creating the chaos in the Middle East and supporting terrorist groups, such as Al Qaeda, is still widely dismissed and rejected, despite obvious and overwhelming evidence. It took advantage of internal tensions, and blew them to great wars that left destruction in

The novel "Thing's fall apart" by Chinua Achebe is a complex work that masterfully establishes and develops characters through their experience with cultural collision. The way that Achebe accomplishes carefully weaving his implicit claim throughout the work is such a beautiful subtlety that it deserves to be analyzed. The Igbo's pride is constantly challenged by the colonizers as they gain increasingly more power in Africa. The idea of pride is constantly developed throughout the thoughts and actions of the novels protagonist Okonkwo. His response to the colonizers is influenced by his own views on pride and is used by Achebe to illustrate his own opinion on pride.

6.Why does Okonkwo become militant in response to British colonialism? In what ways does he take such as radical approach in the opposition of British colonialism? 7.What are the main features of Igbo identity that Okonkwo retained during the British occupation of Nigeria? Analysis Presentation:

This also represents the importance of image to him and shows that he is self-conscious about himself. “‘We shall not do you any harm,’ said the District Commissioner..” (Achebe 194). This is quite ironic since the Europeans ended up abusing Okonkwo and his comrades and eventually destroying the Igbo culture. In this quote the author is implying that in the European's’ perspective, they are doing a good thing for the Igbo in the Umuofia by changing their beliefs, but in reality they are destroying their culture which the foundation and the identity of the Igbo.

When Okonkwo kills the messenger who tells them to stop their meeting, Okonkwo knew, “that Umuofia would not go to war. He knew because they had let the other messengers escape. They had broken into tumult instead of action”(205). If the people of the Igbo tribe had come together to fight to protect themselves, they could’ve gone to war with the Imperialists, and even be able to have a chance at winning. But the missionaries had made the Igbo people so disordered that they could not come together in the name of protecting their tribe.

Chapter 10: In chapter 10 of Things Fall Apart, the author had purpose in all text. The text supported the author’s purpose of being a female is difficult. Females had to deal with having their thoughts or opinions not important. “There were many women, but they looked on from the fringe like outsiders” (Achebe 87).

This shows that there were resentments in the Muslim world and they were critical of the American policies and their desire to instill change in the Muslim

On September 11, 2001, 19 militants trained by the Islamic extremist group al-Qaeda coordinated a terrorist attack by hijacking four airplanes with the intention of crashing them into major landmarks in the United States. The destruction of the World Trade Center and the Pentagon were caused by anti-Americanism, a common radical belief among al-Qaeda members. Increasing Westernization, alienation of extreme Muslims in the West, and humiliation of the Islamic world contributed to al-Qaeda’s rage towards anti-Americanism. Although the rest of the world was becoming increasingly Westernized by adopting modern values, such as secularism, democracy, mixing of the sexes, and materialism, the Islamic world lagged in development and reform.

When Okonkwo first returns back from his exile and hears the news of the white man in Umuofia, his anger increases that no one is trying to fight them. Even after his friend Obierika tells him about how the village Abame was destroyed by similar white missionaries Okonkwo simply thinks “Abame people were weak and foolish. Why did they not fight back... We would be cowards to compare ourselves to the men of Abame” (175). Okonkwo 's aggression blinds him to the dangers of rebelling against the white man, that he is willing to risk the destruction of his whole village just to satisfy his ideology of respecting his religion.

Everyone as a human being has experienced some form of change in our life, big or small, and it has a lasting effect on who they are and how they act. In Chinua Achebe’s ‘Things Fall Apart’, change is a forward facing theme of the whole story, we see change in all forms occur throughout the book; the arrival of the white men and their changing of the igbo culture, the tearing apart of Okonkwo’s family by religion and traditions, and the change that occurs within Okonkwo himself when he realizes he cannot prevent change from happening in the community and culture he loved. Change is destructive in ‘Things Fall Apart’, especially to such a magnitude as we see in the story, it is destructive to communities, to families, and especially to individuals.

Lastly, near the end of the book the white missionaries had essentially invaded the Ibo tribe and its religion. Okonkwo after “heading back to Umuofia” (Achebe 171) was not really acknowledged or awaited for his return to Umuofia. He was seen as an unsympathetic person when he left and so much had changed that he was now just like any other person. Okonkwo did not like what the white missionaries were up to to say the least. After talking to the commissioner in a heated conversation Achebe writes, “Okonkwo 's machete descended twice and the man 's head lay beside his uniformed body” (Achebe 185) thinking that this act would have the other tribe members in the fight with him.

“Things Fall Apart”, a novel written by Chinua Achebe about Africa through the character Okonkwo, a man who Achebe uses to illustrate the complexity Igbo culture, contrary to what the Europeans portrayed Africa as. One main focus of the book is to counter the single story, which is the idea that an area is represented by one story, similar to a stereotype. However, differing from a stereotype a single story often completely misrepresents something, and in this case Africa. Europeans had been the only ones writing about Africa, describing all the culture as problematic for being different, rather than looking at what African culture really is. Achebe was one of the first to write about African culture for westerners to read about, making Things Fall Apart a true innovation in writing.

Things Fall Apart Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe, is a realistic fiction novel about the Ibo people in Nigeria before, during, and after colonization. The main characte0r, Okonkwo, is put through many struggles that show the complexity of the Ibo culture. The Ibo people are represented as a deep and complex group in Things Fall Apart to end the stereotype of Africans as being savage and needing the white man to come settle them.

Things Fall Apart, a book written by the author Chinua Achebe is a story filled with amazing culture. It is about the rise and downfall of the main character, Okonkwo. The book had many different aspects of the African culture and the different time period. For example, characters and their importance throughout the story, and how women were treated in this culture and time period. Topics from religion, family, and the social complexity were very much involved throughout the entire book and portrayed by many of the characters.